Disposable sterile bag for blenders

Abstract

A disposable sterile plastic bag is proposed for holding samples in blenders during the mixing thereof comprises a two-ply sheet flexible material integrally joined at opposed side edges thereof and joined at the upper and lower ends thereof respectively by upper and lower heat seals with a sealed sample receiving chamber being defined between the two plastic sheets inwardly of the bag's side edges and upper and lower seals. Inwardly of the upper seal, there is defined a tear off line transversally across the two sheets and parallelly to the upper seal thereby forming a detachable strip outwardly of the tear off line. When the sample is ready to be introduced in the bag, the strip is removed from the bag by pulling it so as to cause rupture of the two sheets at the tear off line. The bag's chamber is thus sterile when the sample is introduced therein and the bag and its contents can then be inserted in the blender. The bag's sterility does not depend on how the bag is package or on the integrity of the packaging's seal as the bag is itself sterile until the strip is removed therefrom, that is until the bag is ready to be used.

I claim: 
     
       1. A disposable sterile bag in combination with a mixing device, said bag being adapted to contain samples or the like and to be inserted in said mixing device, said mixing device being adapted for mixing the sample contained in said bag, said bag comprising flexible closed enclosure means defining chamber means adapted to contain therein the sample to be mixed in said mixing device, said enclosure means being permanently sealed except at one portion thereof which comprises bag access means adapted to substantially seal said bag in a first position thereof but also adapted to selectively allow in a second position thereof the sample to be introduced in said chamber means when it is desired to use said bag, whereby once in said second position the sample can be received in said bag with said bag and the sample contained therein being then inserted in said mixing device. 
     
     
       2. A disposable sterile bag in combination with a mixing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said access means comprise detachable strip means including sealing means for sealing said bag in said first position but adapted to be removed from said bag with said detachable strip means in said second position thereby opening said bag at said one portion thereof for subsequent receipt of the sample therein. 
     
     
       3. A disposable sterile bag in combination with a mixing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said enclosure means comprise front and rear rectangular sheet means joined at opposed side edges thereof and at a bottom end thereof, said strip means being provided at an upper end of said sheet means for substantially sealing in said first position said chamber means defined between said sheet means, said strip means comprising a tear off line extending inwardly of said sealing means, whereby in said second position said strip means is detached from said upper end of said enclosure means at said tear off line with said sealing means being removed therefrom with said strip means thereby allowing access to said chamber means. 
     
     
       4. A method of mixing sterile samples in mixing devices such as blenders and homogenizers, comprising the steps of: a) providing a disposable sterile bag comprising flexible closed enclosure means defining chamber means adapted to contain therein a sample to be mixed in the mixing device, said enclosure means being permanently sealed except at one initially sealed portion thereof which comprises bag access means substantially sealing said bag in a first position thereof but also adapted to selectively allow in a second position thereof the sample to be introduced in said chamber means when it is desired to use said bag;   b) handling said bag access means from said first to said second position thereof;   c) introducing the sample in said chamber means by way of said bag access means in said second position thereof; and   d) inserting said bag and the sample contained therein in said mixing device; and   e) operating said mixing device for causing the sample to be mixed in said bag.   
     
     
       5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein after step c) and before step e) said bag is closed at said access means for isolating the sample in said bag. 
     
     
       6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein said access means comprise detachable strip means including sealing means for sealing said bag in said first position in step a); but adapted in step b) to be removed from said bag along with said detachable strip means in said second position thereby opening said bag at said one portion thereof for subsequent receipt in step c) of the sample therein. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein said enclosure means comprise front and rear rectangular sheet means joined at opposed side edges thereof and at a bottom end thereof, said strip means being provided at an upper end of said sheet means for substantially sealing in step a) said chamber means defined between said sheet means, said strip means comprising a tear off line extending inwardly of said sealing means, whereby in step b) said strip means is detached from said upper end of said enclosure means at said tear off line with said sealing means being removed therefrom with said strip means thereby allowing access to said chamber means.